David Pizarro to face investigation over Champions League claims

Shane Callaghan

The 34-year-old will be quizzed by the FIGC over comments which he made in an Italian publication which suggested that Fiorentina were duped out of a place in Europe

Fiorentina midfielder David Pizarro is to be investigated by the Italian Football Federation's (FIGC) disciplinary commission after intimating that his club were robbed of a place in this season's Champions League.

AC Milan pipped the Viola to a place in Europe's elite competition on the last day of the season following a 2-1 victory over Siena, in which Mario Balotelli was awarded a controversial penalty with five minutes remaining.

The Chile international recently spoke to Corriere dello Sport about the dramatic conclusion to the Serie A campaign, which he described as a "joke", and suggested that Milan's passage to the preliminary stages of the Champions League could have been pre-determined.

He fumed: "They didn't let us play in the Champions League even though we deserved it, they turned us into a joke and, just like all Florentines, I am yet to digest what happened.

"I am protesting about a system that allows these kind of things to happen; the same things I saw at Roma. It's a shame to work hard all week only to be frustrated every Sunday."

Now, though, the FIGC have confirmed that they will probe the Chilean's comments. They released a statement through their official website, which read: "The federal prosecutor has referred Fiorentina player David Pizarro to the national disciplinary commission.

"In statements published on the websites of the Gazzetta dello Sport and the Corriere dello Sport on July 22, he publicly expressed opinions and remarks likely to infringe on the prestige, reputation and credibility of the Federation, casting doubts on the neutrality of the institution itself, the fairness of the games and the championship and the objectivity and the impartiality of the referees.

"For their objective liability, [Fiorentina] have also been referred."